


A New Heart

by SecretlyVoldemort



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Blood and Gore, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Modern Girl in Thedas, OP as fuck honestly because IDGAF, Slow Burn, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 09:51:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13499520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretlyVoldemort/pseuds/SecretlyVoldemort
Summary: A girl is sent to Thedas and knows full well what is going to happen. In a familiar, yet unfamiliar place, she struggles to find her place in a world that feels so wrong and so right. Dare she join the Inquisition, try to change what will be or should she just fade into the background and let the world burn?





	1. In a Dark Place

**Author's Note:**

> I was bored so I started typing. I write largely for my own pleasure but I share on occasion because why not! This will probably turn into a bit of a Mary-Sue fic but I can't bring it in me to care.

She woke up in stages and none of them were particularly pleasant, though arguably the final stage was the best one. During the first, everything ached and not just her body. It was more than that and also less. Her mind couldn’t really cope with everything that was going on around her but from what she could suss out in that moment, even the air hurt despite it feeling stagnant.

Luckily, that stage didn’t last long and she progressed into the stage of semi-consciousness. She was aware, vaguely, that wherever she was hadn’t been disturbed in a long time. How she knew that she couldn’t really say but it was almost like a sixth sense. Her eyes were still closed so she didn’t really _see_ anything but she could feel and hear.

She could feel the air as it swirled around her. It felt alive and yet not all at the same time. It was dry and old but also young and fresh. Those thoughts were confusing so she moved on sluggishly to what else she could feel. Whatever she was laying on felt hard and cold like stone but it wasn’t bothering her as she expected it to. She could also feel the walls around her as if she was in the middle of a room or a cavern.

Feelings turned to what she could hear. Vaguely, she could hear her own breathing and her heart as it slowly pumped blood through her veins. Expanding further, she could hear water dripping into a small puddle some distance away and further still, she could swear she could hear small animals on soft grass.

These sounds disturbed her, as did everything she was feeling. Luckily, that stage ended as well and the final one began. This one meant finally waking up from whatever it was kept her so still. When her eyes opened, it took her a moment to really register what she was seeing.

Despite the utter darkness of wherever she was, she saw _everything_.

It was suddenly all to much and her body heaved, causing her to suck in a breath and let it out just as abruptly in a gasp. She twisted her body and fell off the giant slab of rock that she had been laying on, hitting the stone below with a grunt. A shaky breath slipped from her lips as she slowly pushed herself upwards until she was on her knees.

Her mind was speeding up and processing every little bit of data that was coming towards her; sights, sounds, smells, even tastes were flooding her in an overwhelming surge. She squeezed her eyes shut and sat up, tilting her head back as she tried to slow her heart which was pounding erratically in her ears.

It took several minutes but once she had calmed down, she let her head drop back and slowly opened her eyes. Part of her knew that the cave she was in, or whatever it was, was pitch black but she could still _see_ which was confusing. Something to hash out later.

First and foremost, she needed to figure out where the hell she was.

Her hand rubbed over her eyes as she sighed, letting her mind think back to the last thing she remembered clearly. She had been, rock climbing. That she remembered quite clearly. She had gone alone as her usual climbing partners, Anthony and Giselle, were too busy to join her that day. Most people wouldn’t have gone alone but she always thrived in high stress situations. So she had gone and she had been halfway up this perfect cliffside when…

Her mind stumbled a bit there, trying to grasp at the wisps of memory. She vaguely recalled falling and then a flash of green, then… Thinking further just sent a spike of pain straight through her skull that had her wincing. With a gentle shake of her head, she decided that perhaps it would best to leave that train of thought alone and get out of wherever the hell she was.

That thought in mind, she pushed herself onto her feet and staggered briefly as a wave of dizziness hit her. It vanished just as quickly and she flexed her hands a bit to loosen up the tightness in her muscles. A frown marred her face as she suddenly realized she was definitely not wearing what she last remembered wearing. In fact, her whole body felt, off.

Glancing down, she looked at her hands and was mildly alarmed that she could see them pretty clearly and even more alarmed that she could see a few fine details on them. Her fingers were long and slender, almost delicate looking but she could feel their hidden strength. Turning them over, she noted in growing alarm that there were calluses that she definitely didn’t have before and these hands were definitely not her own.

That alarm grew exponentially as ‘her’ hands trailed down her torso, noting not only that her clothing was extremely different but her breasts were perky and full, her hips were curved and her ass, well, her ass looked to be that perfect blend of plump and firm.

Considering last she checked she had been flat as a board in both departments, her alarm was now bordering on full on panic.

“What the hell,” she muttered only to gasp and slap her hand over her mouth. Even her _voice_ was different.  It was, well, _melodious_ which was utterly absurd. Her voice had always been brisk and southern, not, whatever the hell just came out of her mouth.

Her eyes widened as she finally registered her lips which her fingers were now tracing. They were plump and soft from what she could feel which brought her to trace up her face. Her hands were shaking as she noted that she suddenly had a perfectly shaped, delicate nose along with somewhat defined cheekbones. Her eyelashes were long and her eyebrows felt like they were perfectly groomed.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she moved her hands up over her head and froze as she briefly touched her ears. Everything within her trembled as her fingers traced them.

They were _pointed_.

That shouldn’t be possible in any reality.

Her hands fell abruptly as everything she knew quaked under this new realization. A choked sob broke from her chest and she pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle herself which, ultimately, felt foolish given that she was alone but she never liked to broadcast such intense feelings.

Silent tears fell down her cheeks and she simply let herself cry for a good long while. When her tears had finally dried up, she wiped away the remnants and let out a sigh. Crying wasn’t going to do anything for her at the moment; it provided no answers and would only delay getting out of this place.

Letting out a huff she patted herself down again, patently ignoring her new curves, to take stock of what she was wearing. It seemed to be somewhat like armor if she had to guess. Even though her eyes were good, her clothing was dark in color and that made it harder to discern.

With an annoyed grunt, she let her hands fall back to her sides and finally glanced around the room a bit more. The bits of light allowed her to determine that the room, or whatever it was, had little by way of decoration and the only real thing of note was the giant tomb like slab of rock she had been laying on. It was ornate, with etchings of leaves and other flora on it. She walked around it slowly, taking note of every little detail she could see and absently wished there was more light.

And then suddenly there was.

Startled, she jumped a bit as a torch that she hadn’t noticed suddenly lit with a blue flame. She gaped at it in shock as her brain processed what it was. _Veilfire_.

The implication...

She stopped that train of thought before it could start, squashing it viciously beneath her foot before turning back to the tomb. Her eyes widened as the previously unseen details came into view and they were utterly gorgeous. Etched in what looked like gold were letters from a language that she resolutely decided not to call Elvhen as it would only shatter what little bit of composure she had.

She traced over it with her fingers, marveling at the delicate words as she continued to move around. As she turned another corner she stopped in surprise as something she hadn’t noticed before came into view. A scabbard, simple but expertly crafted by the looks of it, was laying next to the tomb. She pulled her hands away from the lettering and picked up the scabbard, inspecting it a bit as she wandered closer to the torch.

The scabbard itself was simple but sturdy and the hilt of the blade was delicate, almost fragile looking. She gripped it firmly and tugged, expecting to meet resistance and was surprised as it pulled soundlessly from the scabbard. She marveled at the weightlessness of the sword and tilted it a bit to let the blade catch the light. The blade itself still looked as sharp as ever and was made of some type of metal that she didn’t recognize. She gave it an experimental swing and was startled at the fluidity of the motion. As if it was familiar. Muscle memory.

She briskly ignored that train of thought as well, noting dryly that she was adding to the growing mental list of ‘Things to Deal With Later’. Sheathing the blade again, she continued to look around and barely noticed that she attached the blade to her hip until the action was nearly completed. Letting out a hiss of annoyance, she finished doing so and looked around the room with a slight scowl on her face.

It looked like there was only one way out of the room and it was sealed. With a frown she walked closer to the door, inspecting it closely to see if there was maybe a switch or a lever somewhere out of sight. She didn’t know how long she spent staring at the rock wall but it was long enough to make her smack it in frustration.

“I just need to get out. I need this stupid door to open,” she muttered to herself.

And as if by magic, it did open.

She stared at it in wide eyed disbelief as it fell away to reveal a long dark hallway. She glanced at her hand briefly before dropping it back to her side. She was not going there. Nope. Not right now. Peering down the hallway, she took a hesitant step forward and held her breath for a moment as she listened intently for any sign of a trap.

Sensing and hearing nothing, she let out the breath she had been holding and continued slowly down the hallway. It went on for some time and then seemed to slowly curve upward, solidifying her belief that she had been in a cavern. A bit of light slowly started to appear as she continued forward and she squinted a bit as it stung her eyes.

She had to shut them completely as she finally hit the entrance to the cavern so she didn’t immediately see where she was. Instead she inhaled slowly, taking in all of the scents around her. She could smell fresh grass, flowers of all kinds, the stench of horses and rotting meat. The trickle of water reached her ears along with the sounds of a forest. When she finally opened her eyes and they adjusted to the sharp light of the sun, her jaw dropped.

She _knew_ this place. But she really, _really_ didn’t want to know it. In fact, she had half a mind to go back into the cave.

She pressed her lips together to stop herself from letting out a string of curses as she steadily made her way up a small hill. A little shrine was near the top and she nearly let out a hysterical laugh at the sight but instead continued forward until she reached the edge. Peering out into the valley, she let out a shaky breath.

Dennet’s farm. She was in the goddamn Hinterlands.

Just as she was coming to grips with that utterly ridiculous fact, there was a sudden pressure in the air and everything seemed to explode all at once. It wasn’t just a sound, it was a feeling in the air and in her bones. She bent over and nearly threw up as a bright flash of light lit up the sky.

She looked up incredulously as the Breach formed, angry and vibrant green.

“Son of a bitch.”


	2. Into the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life continues on in spite of her arrival and the Breach's presence. Her next move is in question and she can only take it one step at a time.

It took her roughly an hour or so, it was hard to tell time at the moment, for her stomach to settle and for her body to stop aching. Once it had she leaned her head back against the cool stone she was resting against with a sigh. She had angled herself to have a clear view of the Breach as it continued to swirl and pulse above Thedas.

Her thoughts raced as she stared at it. There were so many things to consider, the primary one being that she was in a fucking video game. She let out a hysterical laugh before she could stop herself and shook her head. A video game. And she was apparently an _elf._

She dropped her head to stare at her hands that were absently drumming on her thighs. She looked her hands over again since she was able to see them more clearly in the brighter light. As she had noted before, they were definitely slim and delicate looking. Like she could hold the most fragile of flowers but also crush the throat of a man.

The comparison startled her a bit and she looked back up at the Breach warily. She was clearly not in her own body so that made her wonder whose body this was. Waking up in a random cave with such intricate armor… Her thoughts trailed off as she reminded herself of said armor.

Her eyes shot back down as she looked at the armor a bit more closely. It was made of a dark leather and the bodice was tightly fitted in a metal with a dark sheen. Her shoulders were covered in light yet intricately decorated pauldrons made of the same metal. She absently tapped a finger against it and was mildly surprised when no sound came from doing so. _Enchanted_ _then._

She continued perusing the armor, wrinkling her nose at the amount of cleavage it showed as she continued downwards. It sort of reminded her of a mix of dalish mage armor and some light human armor that was in the game. She had on some leggings that clung to her and prodding them a bit indicated that they too were enchanted though she was unable to tell what sort of enchantment. Her feet had simple wrappings on them.

Inspection done for the moment, she shifted and pulled the sword out again to look it over. The blade was probably enchanted as well given that it was as light as a feather. She glanced around and upon spotting a few thin trees close by, she stood up to approach them. Her grip tensed on the sword as she gave an experimental swing. She gasped as the sword went through the trees like butter, yelping a bit as they started to fall towards her.

She jumped backwards and went much further than she would have thought possible. Where she expected to move backwards a foot or two, she went back nearly seven feet. She shook her head in utter disbelief, the sound of the trees hitting the ground barely registering in her mind as she tried to digest this new development.

_Hell,_ she thought to herself. _This whole fucking situation is just too unreal._

Making an impatient noise, she slipped the sword back into the scabbard and ran a hand down her face. More items on the never ending list of bullshit she was going to have to deal with. She paused mid thought and frowned.

But did she really?  
  
Her gaze drifted back to the Breach, her mind racing. She was technically not involved with the Inquisition at this point. She could simply let things be, never interact with a single character. Never see the Inquisitor, Varric, Cassandra, Bull, Solas…

Just thinking of that damned wolf was like a knife to her heart. She had played through Inquisition several times but had never been able to handle finishing a run with a Dalish Inquisitor. It had been just too heartbreaking to see her face after he removed her vallaslin. She knew what happened in Trespasser in regards to the romanced Solas but had never physically experienced it.

Those thoughts brought her up short as she brought a hand to her cheek. Did she…? Her eyes immediately moved towards the still water nearby and before she realized what she was doing, she was kneeling next to it to catch a glimpse of herself.

Her eyes startled her more than she cared to admit. One was a familiar deep blue, the same color they were before when she was human. The other, however, was a vivid emerald green. Her brow furrowed as she contemplated them, wondering silently if it was a coincidence or an indication of how she had taken over some poor elf’s body.

Shaking her head, she continued to inspect the rest of her features. She had been right about a few things when she had inspected herself earlier but seeing herself even partially… She let out a brief noise in utter disbelief. She was fucking gorgeous to the point of it being surreal. It was like she was taken from a goddamn fantasy novel and plopped into...

She let out a sharp bark of laughter. Into a fucking fantasy video game. She slapped the water in frustration at her situation and at her stupidly pretty face. Her hands brushed over her head and she let her fingers play with the neat bun at the back of her head. Curiously, she pulled at it a bit so it started to loosen until it fell completely from the bun. She pulled some of it forward and noted with a snort that it was a rich red with golden highlights. As she dropped a few strands they curled gently to fall just short of her waist.

She groaned and dropped her head, letting her hair fall like a curtain around her face. “I’m a fucking Disney princess,” she muttered bitterly. “Next thing you know, I’ll be singing and wooing all manner of animals to my side.”

With a heavy sigh she pushed herself back up and tucked her hair behind her pointed ear, shivering as even the slightest touch sent tingles down her spine. She yanked her hand back in annoyance. _So, sensitive ears were definitely a thing._

A soft squeaking sound had her turning her head and her eyes widened as she spied a fennec looking at her curiously. With a hiss she waved her hand at it. “Oh hell no, we are so not going there. Go away before I wring your neck,” she snapped, causing the fennec to jump and dash away. She let out a noise of irritation and stomped back towards her previous spot.

She plopped back down gracefully, a fact she was so ignoring at the moment, and stared down at  Dennet’s farm, noting his daughter and wife moving about as they worked. She also noted that they would look up at the Breach quite often before returning to work. Time passed swiftly as she lost herself in gentle musings while she watched them. At one point, she could see and somewhat hear fighting just beyond the farm but she had no desire to investigate.

_No sense in drawing attention to myself just yet when a bunch of mages and Templars are running around,_ she thought absently.

It was only the darkening skies that snapped her out of her reverie. She looked at the sun for a moment before glancing around her current spot. It was incredible that nothing had approached her in the several hours she had been sitting there. Shrugging away the thought, she stood up and stretched a bit in order to ease the ache in her muscles but was surprised, or perhaps unsurprised, when there was no ache.

Scoffing lightly, she drummed her fingers against her lips to try to determine where to rest for the night]. She wasn’t exceptionally tired but it would be wise to hide out somewhere until morning. As her eyes scanned the area, she was drawn back to Dennet’s farm, particularly their stables. It was slightly larger than in the game but that wasn’t terribly shocking. It would be fairly easy for her to slip into the stables for the night and then slip out before morning.

Decision made, she started to make her way silently down the mountain and slowly approached the farm. As she came up to the farm house, she couldn’t escape the desire to move closer to one of the windows to see if she could hear the family as they ate dinner.

She slipped next to the building and peaked inside curiously. The low cadence of their voices hit her ears and she closed her eyes to focus on their words, silently hoping she could understand them.

“It worries me, Dennet. A few wolves attacked Jeffrey today, out in the field. They’ve never been this aggressive before that…” Elaina trailed off, her voice anxious and stiff.

Dennet sighed. “I know but there’s nothing we can do. We’re not equipped to handle a pack of wolves. The last count was at seven and that was months ago. Not to mention the fighting between the mages and Templars now.”

“I’ll keep the horses out of the fields and close to the stables,” Seanna murmured. Dennet grunted in agreement.

She opened her eyes as their conversation switched to managing the horses and she stepped away silently. _So it’s already begun and I can thankfully understand what they are saying,_ she thought grimly as she moved towards the stables. She was sort of surprised that the rifts were already impacting the environment. Granted she had no real frame of reference for how long it would take for the Herald to get from Haven to the farm exactly; merely speculation based on a few suggestions. If the wolves were already acting up…

She let out a soft sigh as she lithely jumped over the fence in front of the stables and made her way inside. The few horses still awake huffed at her and she slowed a bit as she passed them. A few eyed her suspiciously, or what she assumed was suspicion, but a couple stuck their heads out and snorted at her. One in particular caught her eye, a beautiful dapple gray with big blue eyes that nipped at the hand she held out. “Aren’t you beautiful,” she said softly, letting her hand move up the horse’s snout.

The horse snorted at her and nipped at her hair, causing her to laugh and push the gray’s large head away. “All right, I like you too but doesn’t mean you should eat my hair.” With another fond pat she continued down the stables, ignoring the noises from the gray behind her as she found an empty stall to slip into.

Noting that it was largely clean, she settled against the corner and propped her arm against her knee. Even this far away from the Breach, she could still feel the tremble in the air. Assuming it was bits of the fade, she idly waved a hand in front of her and started as a blue shimmer followed her hand.

She sat up swiftly and did it again, concentrating a bit more on feeling the particles floating in the air. The shimmer was brighter this time and stayed longer after her hand stopped moving. Licking her lips she held her hand out with her palm up and concentrated on the feel of the fade around her. Fire was the first thing that came to mind so she concentrated on that in conjunction with the fade. She could feel it building around her, swirling and tensing like it wanted to do her bidding but was so wild and free.

She focused a bit more and _pulled_ the fade to her firmly, commanding it to do her bidding. As if waiting for the order, it instantly snapped to her hand and a flame floated above her palm. Her eyes widened as the flame pulsed with life and she couldn’t help but think that magic was incredibly awesome. Despite her wavering concentration, it seemed to matter very little for the fire which as it hadn’t dimmed in the slightest at her mental cheering.

Curiously, she wondered if she could change it to another element and so she focused once more on the flame. She thought of ice, cold and unmoving which was so different from the flame. At first it was difficult as the flame wanted to stay burning, stay alive. But she coaxed it into changing, coaxed it to be still and firm. She stared at the ice ball in her hand with a sense of triumph.

Her triumph was short lived as a wave of fatigue hit her and the ice melted away. She slumped against the wall of the stable with a groan. _Of course. Solas was extremely weak when he woke up too,_ she thought blandly. Catching sight of a loose strand of her hair reminded her that it was still unbound so she gathered it together and braided it. At the end, she looked around a bit for something to tie it back with an spotted a piece of leather on the ground. With a shrug, she grabbed it and after a couple of attempts she had it around her hair.

Sighing softly, she relaxed again and blinked owlishly into the dark stable. The sounds of the horses along with other noises from the area were oddly soothing and she found her eyes closing despite not feeling overly tired. Before she could register what was happening, she was out like a light.

* * *

She awoke with a slightly strangled gasp and clutched her head as it pounded in her skull. She hadn’t realized she was falling asleep but it seemed she had and oh the dreams… She had seen things that she thought were perhaps memories but it was difficult to say. She closed her eyes again and ignored the pain in favor of trying to recall what she had seen.

_Screaming was all around her. Fire and ice and death and blood. Her own sword was dripping in ichor as she gripped it tightly. Another elf flung himself at her and she parried, dancing around him with grace and ease. She frowned as her sword sliced through his armor and cut into his shoulder, wrenching a scream of agony and a string of Elvhen to spew from his lips._

_“You will pay for your betrayal, Neria. You and all of his followers.”_

_The elf spat blood at her before she flicked her wrist and sent his head flying._

_“We shall see.”_

Her eyes snapped open as the possible memory faded and she winced as her head throbbed. With a frown, she stood up and slipped from the stall, noting absently that the sun hadn’t risen yet. She gave the gray a pat on the nose as she slipped by and rolled her head as she stood at the entrance of the stables.

If that was indeed a memory, then it would seem that she was in the body of an ancient Elvhenan and she had apparently been on Fen’Harel’s side when the pantheon had gone off the deep end. That brought up another conundrum.

What if Solas _knew_ her?

She shuddered at the mere idea. That would be horrible and potentially life threatening. If he had known this elf, this Neria, and he discovered that some human had effectively possessed her then he may just kill her on the spot. It added another mark in the column of ‘Do Not Get Involved’ that she had been mentally building.

With a sigh she silently left the fenced in area and wandered back behind Dennet’s farm. It was only day two and she had some time, probably, to figure things out. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation from last night and she frowned. If the wolves were already acting up, perhaps she could help. Maybe muscle memory was enough or the alleged memories of this elf would suddenly give her the ability to wield a sword.

She pulled from her thoughts as she climbed up the side of the hill, avoiding the small creek until she was perched once more in a spot to watch Dennet and his family. The sun had barely started to show itself before they started to move about and she watched them a bit more closely this time. Dennet seemed to give instructions to Bron who in turn spoke to the two guards and other farmhands.

Elaina and Seanna worked together briefly before Seanna went back to the horses, letting them out to roam in the fenced area. The rest of the day was fairly mundane up until roughly noon and her stomach finally made itself known. She rubbed at it with pursed lips before heaving a sigh. There was no helping it, she would need to find something to eat.

Bouncing up to her feet, she gave the farm a last look before she started to wander a bit. She knew that nugs were edible and there were probably plants she could consume but she couldn’t begin to know what they looked like. Deciding on meat first, she continued her search for some sort of wild animal.

Later, she vowed never to speak of that first hunt. Ever. To anyone. Especially Varric should she ever meet him.

She grumpily prodded the small fire she had made as the nug she had found cooked over it slowly. Halfway through the process of skinning and prepping it for consumption she had realized that she didn’t technically know _how_ to do such a thing and suddenly questioned where the hell the small dagger in her hand had come from. The only conclusion she could come to was that Neria must have known and that knowledge somehow passed to her.

Which begged the question: were memories housed in the spirit or the physical body?

She definitely remembered her past life, but this was not her own form. She had dreams that could be counted as memories detailing Neria’s past but Neria was clearly M.I.A.

The whole concept just hurt her head so she put it aside in favor of nibbling on the now roasted nug. It wasn’t terrible tasting, perhaps needing a bit of salt and some other seasoning but definitely edible. She ate most of it before feeling full and extinguishing the fire with a wave of her hand. She wandered back to the creek to wash her hands and face before coming to a decision.

Her curiosity was always one of her strongest traits and right now, she couldn’t help but be curious about Dennet and his family.

So with as much determination as she could manage, she slipped around the farm to try to approach them from the main road as opposed to the wilderness. She didn’t want to alarm them anymore than necessary after all. As she was walking, she noted the rift that was close to the farm was indeed open but only one demon was stalking near it.

She made a mental note to tell Dennet about it and when she finally reached the road she slowly walked back towards the farm, her eyes moving around curiously. One of the guards noticed her first and immediately approached, his hand on the pommel of his sword.

“Hold it! State your business!” he snapped out, clearly tense and wary of her. She paused when she was close enough and noted that his eyes widened as he took her in.

She held up her hands in an effort to be as non-threatening as possible. “I was just passing through and saw this farm. I’m new to the area but wanted to see if there was anything I could assist with. Everything seems to be, well, exploding all around us.”

The guard seemed to gape at her and she noted with a brief bit of irritation that his eyes raked down her form before settling on her breasts for longer than was even remotely polite. She cleared her throat and he snapped back to himself with a quick shake of his head. “Yes, well, I can take you to the horsemaster but no funny business!”

She nearly snorted at the attempt to be tough but instead kept her face neutral. “Of course. Lead the way.”

He eyed her again and then started marching towards the buildings. She kept pace behind him silently, glancing around at the few farmhands that paused in their work to see what was going on. Dennet had just left the main farmhouse when he spotted them, crossing his arms over his chest as he awaited their approach.

The guard gestured to her as she came to stand next to him. “Sir, this elf, wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help out ‘round here.”

Dennet raised an eyebrow as he glanced at her. She mentally gave him her respect as he merely narrowed his eyes on her face rather than inspect her like a piece of meat as the guard had. “That so,” Dennet stated.

She nodded. “Indeed. I’m adept with a sword and I can help keep a look out, help with the horses, whatever you require. All I ask is that I may stay in the stables each night, nothing else.” She tried not to fidget at the lie about her ability.

Dennet huffed and waved a hand at the guard who hurried away. “Stay in the stables? Most ask for coin or food at the very least,” he said as he rubbed his chin.

“I can hunt for my own food and I don’t need the coin. Merely somewhere to rest my head that allows me to relax and not worry about being eaten by a bear or wolves.”  
  
Dennet grunted and dropped his hand. “Very well. I could use the extra eyes to watch out for the horses and the rest of the hands. There is a stall that is typically kept empty towards the end and you can stay so long as you don’t disturb the horses.”

She smiled. “Understood. I’ll sweep the perimeter of the farm and do what I can. I should warn you that there is a tear in the veil not too far from your farm. I would advise you to keep all of your farm hands and guards far away from it. The demon I saw didn’t seem to move far from it but I don’t want to take any chances.”

Dennet frowned. “I see. We’ve had some trouble with wolves too. I’ll warn the others and if you can keep them out of the area, I would be grateful.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Name’s Dennet,” he said, extending his hand.

She gripped it firmly and spoke what she supposed was her new name. “Neria. Glad to meet you.”


	3. Assimilation

The next week passed by rather quickly despite the fact that all she really did was stalk around the farm and occasionally help Seanna with the horses. The evenings proved to be the most interesting by far. She wasn’t sure if she entered the fade but each night she dreamed about Neria.

Every day that passed she became more, calm? Self-assured? It was difficult to say really. She realized that she seemed to just know more without really trying. It was almost as if she was assimilating everything that was Neria into herself, gaining the elf’s knowledge and skills. The first time she had used her sword, for instance, had been when a bear had popped out of nowhere to attack her. She had wanted to run away but that idea was quickly dismissed as the bear came at her.

Before she realized what she was doing the sword was out and she was dodging claws and teeth. Her sword had cut into flesh and fur so easily that it startled her. She gave one last graceful leap out of the way and flicked her hand down to sever the bear’s head clean off. She remembered staring blankly at the bear for awhile before a morbid thought slipped through her mind.

_She was really good at cutting off heads._

A very ugly laugh had slipped from her lips then and it took several minutes before she had calmed down. When the hysteria had passed, she’d promptly bent over to empty the contents of her stomach.

That day had been one of her lowest. 

Since then, however, she had balanced herself out. Coming to the realization that she was stuck in Thedas with the Breach looming overhead, in a body that was not her own, had been extremely sobering. She had cried the first couple of nights, missing the few friends she had and all of her creature comforts. There had also been one afternoon where she’d had a panic attack so severe that it left her shivering out in the cold as it rained.

Her current thoughts moved towards what she had dubbed her ‘cover story’ for her life here in Thedas. She had realized pretty rapidly that the level of knowledge she had about the current state of Thedas would be highly suspicious if she said ‘oh I woke up the day the Breach ripped open the sky.’ Instead, she opted to say, should anyone ask, that she was simply a wanderer that preferred to keep to herself but the current situation had made her want to assist however she could.

She had chortled to herself at how like Solas’s story that had sounded. The thought of the elf made her pause in her patrol and sigh softly. She still hadn’t totally decided if she was going to stay out of things entirely or help out. Part of her was absolutely dying to meet the members of the Inquisition but another part of her was scared witless at the idea.

Sure, meeting Bull would be admittedly awesome. The Chargers too. But Bull was Ben-Hassrath and then there was Leliana to consider. And then there was Cullen, Josephine, and Cole...

_Cole_.

Shit, she had totally forgotten about him. He’d be able to sniff out her secrets in five seconds flat if she got around him. She adored Cole in the game and she would probably adore him in real life but anyone knowing what she knew was dangerous.

She let out a huff and dismissed her current thoughts for the moment in favor of focusing on the area around her. In the past several days, she had worked on her senses and her magic. Her dreams had revealed that she could use magic though she wasn’t at the level that Solas was or would be. The abilities she had with magic were in the realm of what she would call a Knight Enchanter, though it was more stealthy than that.

She could wrap magic around herself to become completely invisible and silent but not for very long. Her memories ( _Neria’s memories?)_ showed that she previously had the ability to do so for quite some time and the fact that she couldn’t do it for more than a minute currently made her grumpy.

The sudden crack of a branch breaking made her freeze in place for half a second before she ducked down behind a large tree. Her eyes darted around swiftly, taking in the landscape as she focused on what else she could hear.

_Light panting, a heart beating erratically. A hand moving down a piece of wood and the soft hum of the fade. A throat clearing and a muffled groan. The smell of blood with the smell of smoke. A trembling aura._

_Mage._

Her eyes instantly moved to the spot where the mage was hiding and she was reasonably certain he hadn’t spotted her since spells weren’t being lobbed in her direction. She glanced up at the trees, wondering if the branches could adequately hold her weight. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she considered her options.

Decision finally made, she deftly leapt up into the trees and bounded across the branches carefully. No one ever looked up, it is known.

She smothered a snicker at her own thoughts and stopped above the mage who was leaning against the tree she was in. He looked young, with brown hair and brown eyes. He seemed to be trembling and his grip on his staff was knuckle white as he sat there. She contemplated her next step silently as she perched in the tree.

The mage was completely oblivious to her presence as he slowly released his grip on the staff and reached towards his waist, fumbling with a lyrium potion. He nearly dropped it a few times before finally downing it.

She watched in fascination as his body seemed to relax and tense at the same time. She could feel the magic build in him, the fade shivering as it swirled around in excited agitation.

“It’s blood you know.”

The mage let out a rather undignified yelp as he jumped up and looked around in fright. “W-Who’s there!?”

She rolled her eyes as he still failed to look up. “Up here.”

His eyes shot up and the shock at seeing her up in the tree sent him straight onto his ass. He looked up at her in horror before struggling up and conjuring a fireball. With a hiss, she dropped down from the tree just as he launched it at her.

She narrowed her eyes and launched herself forward, sweeping a leg out to knock him off his feet again. Her hand lashed out and grabbed the staff as he was falling, wrenching it from his grasp and tossing it aside before he landed.

He hit the ground with a grunt and she took a few steps away from him, standing relaxed as she watched him scramble away from her.

“W-What the? Who are you! What do you want!” He stammered out rather loudly.

She wrinkled her nose at him and shrugged. “Neria and nothing.”

He looked nonplussed at her response and she could hear his heart still hammering away in his chest. She smiled a bit. “You did ask.”

He finally blinked and slowly pushed himself up, his eyes darting to the staff that was on the ground a bit away. She clicked her tongue and his eyes darted back to her. “Don’t be rude. I let you off once after you attacked me without provocation but I won’t do it again. I told you my name, what’s yours?”

He let out a shaky breath. “Riordan. What are you… Gonna do?”

She realized that he hadn’t used any magic against her because he probably had never truly cast without a staff. That made her come to the conclusion that he was probably a circle mage that had absolutely no clue what to do out in the real world. Pity swelled within her and she waved her hand at the staff, summoning it to her hand. Another trick she had taught herself when she wasn’t patrolling or sleeping.

Riordan gulped but before he could open his mouth to speak he was fumbling with the staff she had tossed to him. He looked at it in shock before he looked up at her, his mouth gaping in silent confusion. She chuckled and put her hands on her hips.

“I’m not going to do anything. As I was saying before you interrupted me by throwing fire, lyrium is the blood of a titan. They existed a long time ago and shaped the world. I thought it was interesting and thought I would share.”

He continued to gape at her in silence. She raised an eyebrow and he closed his mouth with an audible click. “O-Ok. I… Thank you for telling me.”

His heart rate had slowed a bit and he looked less like a frightened rabbit. She hummed softly and wandered over to the tree that was still smoldering. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she focused on stifling the flames, slowly extinguishing them. Once they were gone, she let out a shaky breath to center herself from the mild strain and turned back to Riordan who was still eyeing her suspiciously.

“You’re welcome. Now, I’m going to go back to my patrol. The horsemaster, Dennet, has a farm near here and I help protect the lands. Please refrain from burning anything else around here as the land is valuable. I recommend trying to get to Haven, if you can.”

His eyes followed her as she calmly walked away, still humming to herself as she moved between the trees. Once she was out of his sight she moved up into the trees again and doubled back to watch him. And maybe to protect him a bit. He seemed like a lost sheep and she couldn’t in good conscious just let him stagger alone while he recovered his mana.

He stayed there for about two hours before starting to slowly walk through the forest. She followed him silently for nearly two miles before pausing, letting him go off on his own in the vague direction of Haven. With a sigh she dropped back down to the ground and spun on the balls of her feet to face the farm again. A heartbeat later she was sprinting through the forest, the trees a blur as she simply let herself move.

It took less than ten minutes for her to make it back to the spot where she’d found Riordan and she came to a stop there, barely winded as she took in the burnt tree. Her thoughts went back to the young mage and she silently hoped he would make it to Haven.

The rest of her patrol was quiet and she made her way back to the farm as the sun was setting. Dennet was out with his wife, chatting with her softly. They both stopped and looked at her as she approached and she nodded politely.

“Good evening, Dennet. Elaina.”

“Evening, Neria. Anything of note today?” Dennet asked in his usual brisk fashion.

“No, just a mage that I convinced to go to Haven. The wolves have been keeping themselves back at their den, which is fortunate,” she replied, stopping in front of the couple.

Dennet grunted while Elaina smiled. She liked Elaina. The older woman reminded her of her own grandmother: warm and gentle at times but with a subtle hardness that told you not to mess with her.  
  
“Would you like to join us for dinner, dear?”

She looked surprised at the offer. “I would be happy to, thank you.”

Elaina gave Dennet a smug look that she couldn’t really interpret and Dennet sighed, gesturing at her to follow as they headed into the house. She followed the couple with a faint smile on her lips and stepped into the rather inviting farmhouse for the first time.

Her eyes leisurely explored the home as she pulled her sword from her waist, setting it by the door before moving further inside. Seanna was already at the table, filling some glasses with wine. She brightened considerably upon spotting Neria.

“Oh good! You convinced her to join us,” the younger girl said cheerfully. She gestured to an empty spot and held up the bottle. “Would you like some wine?”

“Yes, please,” Neria said softly as she sat down, looking at the spread curiously. There was a loaf of bread, what looked like a roast, and some roasted vegetables. All together it was a pretty decent spread for being in the middle of nowhere. She gave Seanna a smile of thanks as the other girl set the cut down and took her own place.|  
  
Elaina took a sip of her own wine as Dennet started to cut up the roast, serving each of them in turn. “So, Neria, where are you from?” Elaina asked, her eyes sharp as she peered at the elf.

_And so begins the interrogation_ , she thought in amusement.

“All over I suppose. I’ve mostly wandered throughout Ferelden but I did explore a bit of Orlais at one time. I don’t have a clan or anything of that nature so I have nothing holding me to one place,” she replied calmly, murmuring a thank to Dennet as he put some of the bread on her plate as well.

Seanna looked completely enthralled. “Have you seen anything interesting? Where did you get your sword? It’s so unique!”

Dennet sat down and gave Seanna a look. “Don’t be a nuisance, Seanna.”

Neria waved a hand. “It’s all right. Interesting is subjective, there isn’t much out in the wilderness except trees and animals. Occasionally a ruin or a cave. As for the sword, it was a gift from a friend.” That was technically true, she believed. Her memories, or Neria’s memories, were fuzzy on a few things still.

Seanna seemed to take it in stride and for a few minutes they all tucked into the meal, eating quietly with the occasional word to pass something. About halfway through, the makeshift interrogation continued.

“So, are you good with any other weapons?” Dennet asked casually.

Neria’s lips twitched a bit but she hid the smile behind her cup as she took a sip. “Yes. I can use daggers just as effectively and a bow should the need arise. I prefer the sword though.” She purposefully kept her magic to herself. Even though they would probably accept it, she didn’t want to make them uncomfortable in such turbulent times

Seanna looked to be bouncing in her seat again with excitement. _You’d never know she’s an adult, the way she acts,_ Neria thought with a soft chuckle.

“Yes, Seanna?”

“Can you teach me to use a sword? I’ve seen the way you move, you’re so graceful! And your hair is gorgeous,” Seanna babbled, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Neria.

Neria knew that look. She’d seen it a thousand times in many people. It was akin to hero worship and it made her mildly uncomfortable. She wasn’t a hero; she was a liar, a thief. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and gave Seanna what she hoped was a polite smile and not a grimace.

“I can teach you the basics, if you desire. It would be a useful skill to have in these times,” she said calmly, glancing at Dennet and Elaina to gauge their reaction.

Dennet grunted and Elaina hummed. Neither were big on dramatics, a trait she appreciated.

Seanna beamed so hard she could swear there was actually sunlight coming from her skin. It was mildly disturbing and reminded her of Lee and Gai from Naruto. That image made her inwardly cringe. Instead she finished her wine and gave Dennet and Elaina a smile. “Thank you for the meal. I should head out to the stable. Elaina, I’ll come back from my patrol a bit early tomorrow to go over a few things with you. If you have a dull sword or dagger around, please bring it. I wish you all a good evening.”

Seanna looked a bit disappointed that she couldn’t quiz her more on her background but she had to escape while she could. Elaina gave her a look that practically said ‘I know what you’re doing’ but merely said goodnight. Dennet huffed and waved a hand.

She grabbed her sword and slipped out of the house with a sigh. Her feet automatically carried her across the grass into the stable. She absently pat the gray on the nose as she moved towards where she slept. Her mind was in a thousand places at once and wouldn’t settle even as she sat down against the wall of the stall.

She was unsure why she agreed to help Seanna. She liked the girl just fine but _training_ someone was completely out of her wheelhouse. Was it even something Neria had done, could do? Her hand pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. None of the memories she had seen were of any help thus far in that category. Maybe she’d get lucky and dream of such things this evening.

* * *

 

The next morning was like her previous. A headache made her wince and more memories were dizzying for several minutes. Once the dizziness abated, she relaxed and sorted through the new information. It seemed that wanting to remember something had in fact helped as she had several instances of Neria teaching others in various forms of weaponry and self defense.

She shook her head in exasperation as she left the stable and moved towards the edge of the farm to start her usual patrol.

 

* * *

 

Heading back towards the farm several hours later, she felt extremely grumpy. Another bear had shown up and somehow she had managed to become covered in blood and gore this time around. She’d managed to get some of it off in a stream but she was in desperate need of a bath. Or two.

Instead she was heading towards the farm to honor her deal with Seanna, who was currently bouncing on her feet as she approached.   
  
“Neria! You came! I was worried you…” Seanna halted mid sentence. “What in the Maker’s name happened to you?!”

Neria paused and glanced down at herself, flicking away a piece of something that she had missed earlier. “Oh, it was just a bear. Nothing to concern yourself with. None of it is my blood. Do you have a weapon you wish to use?”

“Y-Yes, I do. _Just_ a bear?” Seanna said incredulously.

Neria huffed and crossed her arms. “I need to gauge your current knowledge to determine where to start. Take the weapon and get into a stance you’re comfortable with.”

Seanna blinked a few times before pulling the sword at her side out and standing in front of Neria. Neria circled around her slowly, taking in the stance and her grip on the sword. With a hum, she paused and moved forward. “Don’t stand so stiffly. You need to be able to move and keep your balance even, on the balls of your feet.”

She pushed out Seanna’s right foot so it was more in front of her. “When facing an attacker, keep your lead foot forward a bit. That’s the foot that is on the same side as the one you hold your sword. You want to be able to move quickly. Given your stature, you’ll never be someone who can use brute force. Instead, you want to be like water; fluid and quick.”

She moved in front of Seanna and shifted her own stance to demonstrate. “You’ll also want to start learning your own body. Stretch each morning and figure out how far you can reach without hurting yourself. See if you can extend that but do it slowly. I can show you a few after. Now, take a swing at me.”

Seanna, who had been listening carefully, looked alarmed. “But, won’t I hurt you?”

The corner of Neria’s lips tilted up a bit. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t let you do any serious damage. But I need to see you strike and we’re lacking in training dummies. So swing.”

Seanna hesitated again until Neria gave her a stern look. Taking a breath, she swung her sword from the right in a wide arc and Neria stepped back to avoid it smoothly. Seanna nearly stumbled as her body tried to follow the momentum of the sword but managed to stop herself, giving Neria a sheepish smile.

Neria hummed. “All right, I’ve seen enough. Let’s get started.”

* * *

 

An hour and a half later, Seanna was panting harshly, covered in a layer of sweat while Neria stood next to her looking quite pleased.

“You’ve done well today. I like your determination and you are picking things up very quickly. Remember to stretch each evening and each morning. When you can, practice moving around obstacles on the balls of your feet, as quickly as you can without stumbling. Everything can help you so long as you use it appropriately.”

Seanna grabbed a nearby waterskin and took several long pulls from it before dropping it with a gasp. “T-Thank you, for helping me. I’ll do my best.”

Neria gave Seanna a pat on the shoulder before heading out towards the forest. “I’m going to clean up. I’ll check in with your father tomorrow.”

Seanna merely grunted in reply, clearly exhausted. She snickered at the sound as it reminded her so much of Dennet. It didn’t take her long to reach a small pond and a waterfall so she gave the area a quick scan with her senses to ensure it was safe enough. Sensing nothing, she pulled off her armor and waded into the water, untying her braid as she did so.

The cold water made her instantly miss hot showers as she stepped under the waterfall. She scrubbed at her hair and her arms, noting the faint pink tinge to the water below her feet as she blankly scrubbed until her skin was pink. Once she was satisfied, she simply stood under the water for an indeterminate amount of time.

What was she doing? Really?

Helping Seanna, helping Dennet. All of the memories or not memories or whatever they were. She felt like an imposter who was merely playing in someone else’s life. And what about her life? Could she really just let it all go?

She didn’t notice that her breathing had quickened until her chest started to burn. Stumbling out of the cold waterfall, she clutched at her chest as she bent over gasping for breath as tears fell from her eyes. Her legs collapsed beneath her and she caught herself before she went face first into the water.

Between her tears, Neria’s face looked back at her with mismatched eyes. _Her face._

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a few shuddering breaths. Instinctively, she reached for the fade and wrapped it around herself like a blanket, letting the warmth of her aura comfort her. Several dozen breaths later, she felt more stable and slowly climbed to her feet. Finally opening her eyes, she looked up at the sky. The glow of the Breach didn’t fully reach this area and the darkness was filled with stars.

_Even the stars were different_.

As she stared at them, tracing new shapes and designs in her mind’s eye, she came to a decision.

She was no longer Amanda Larson, human rock climber and lover of the outdoors.

She was Neria. An ancient Elvhen in Thedas who could wield a sword and use magic.

She still loved the outdoors and could still easily climb a mountain but she was so much _more_ now. More than she could have ever imagined or dreamed. She missed her friends, she missed her home and TV and music and the safety.

But this place… This place was magical and not just because of the Fade. It was beautiful and dangerous with crazy ancient tevinter mages and ancient elves bent on destroying the world. With secretive spies and loyal soldiers. With regular people who cared for horses and worked fields.

It was a place she’d come to enjoy in the short amount of time she’d been there.

Her gaze moved from the stars to her armor nearby. She wandered over to it and slowly wiped away the blood as her thoughts continued to distract her. Every swipe brought a new thought.

Amanda and Neria were becoming one person.

She wasn’t sure what that meant exactly but thus far, it seemed she was losing aspects of Amanda while gaining aspects of Neria.

Did that mean that neither of them were technically going to exist anymore?

Did her desire to help those around her stem from Amanda or from Neria?

Then the million dollar question: Did she want to help the Inquisition or leave it alone?

She paused in her cleaning and looked at the armor with new and old eyes.

“I’m so going to regret this.”


End file.
